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Joe Wood
  • New Jersey
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Septic Installation Issues

Joe Wood
  • New Jersey
Posted May 21 2017, 13:35

Hey everyone,

I purchased my home in December 2015 with a new septic system installed, paid for by the seller. Soil conditions were dry when I moved in, but I noticed that there was a runoff in my lawn running down from the field. I have contacted the engineer, excavator and town regarding issues with water runoff. Everyone involved has said that the soil here is very clay packed, which it is, and does not filter well. Also, the water table is fairly high. They believe that water is coming upward through the field, and it's not the field failing to percolate through the soil. There solution to the problem was to install a curtain drain before the field, on the hillside.

My question is, since this system is only around 15 months old, who is responsible for fixing the issue? The issue has been happening since installation, so I would think it would be the engineer who did not account for runoff and the necessity to install a curtain drain. I know the excavator just went off of the engineers plans, so as long as they installed the correct soils, they should be fine. When I asked the engineer, what would happen when I go to sell the house, and the field fails only a few years after installed. He suggested that I sell during the dry season when the field isn't completely saturated. I feel the engineer should be responsible for resolving this issue... Not sure if I should contact an attorney or what they are legally liable for here.. Any advice is greatly appreciated.  

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